State Aid Programs

Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS)

Louisiana’s Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) is a comprehensive program of state scholarships managed through Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA).To apply for TOPS, students should:

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.gov
• Complete the TOPS online application at http://www.osfa.la.gov/.

In order to maintain eligibility, TOPS award recipients must adhere to the following:

• TOPS pays tuition not fees.
• TOPS recipients must complete 24 earned hours within the academic year or they will lose TOPS
• Students must be enrolled full time (at least 12 semester hours)
• TOPS is not paid until enrollment has been verified (15th day of class) and payments have been received from LOSFA.
• TOPS recipients who withdraw will lose their TOPS for the semester

TOPS TECH STUDENTS: Students qualifying for the TOPS Tech award MUST be enrolled in a technical program or a LOSFA approved academic program. Certificates and Associates of Applied Science degrees are TOPS Tech eligible.

For a list of TOPS Tech eligible programs, click here.

• Business (AS)
• Computer Science (AS)
• Nursing (ASN)
• Surgical Technology (AS)
• Criminal Justice (AS)
• Pre-Engineering (AS)
• American Sign Language Studies (AA) (new approved program at BRCC)

Title TOPS OPH Annual Award Amounts For 2024-25

**NOTE** In the event of a budget shortfall, students completing the TOPS On-line Application in lieu of the FAFSA will be the first to lose their TOPS award. To speak to a representative, call Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) at

(800) 259-5626 Ext. 1012 or in Baton Rouge (225) 922-1012, or
E-mail LOSFA at custserv@osfa.la.gov, or
write LOSFA at P.O. Box 91202, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-9202

Chafee Educational and Training Voucher

The Chafee Educational and Training Voucher (ETV) Program awards up to $5,000 annually during the academic year to qualified students who have been in the foster care system so they can pursue an academic college education or technical and skill training in college to be prepared to enter the workforce. The actual award amount is determined by the student’s financial need, which is calculated in accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

Eligibility Requirements
You must:

• Be ages 14-26;
• Be in the foster care system, aged out of the foster care system, exited the foster care system through legal guardianship or adoption after attaining the age of 16, or was in the foster care system after the age of 14 and exited for reasons other than adoption, guardianship, or aging out; and
• Be enrolled in postsecondary education; and
• Annually complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Renewal Requirements
You must:

• Not have attained the age of 26; and
• Be enrolled in postsecondary education; and
• Not have participated in the program for more than five years, whether or not consecutively; and
• Be making satisfactory academic progress in his/her program of study.

  How to Apply

  • Submit your FAFSA and consult with your college’s financial aid office.

YCP: GO Youth ChalleNGe Program

The GO Youth ChalleNGe Grant is a program to encourage and assist those students who graduate from the Louisiana National Guard’s Youth ChalleNGe Program to continue their education and enhance their employment opportunities by providing tuition at an eligible Louisiana postsecondary institution.

Eligibility Requirements
You must:

• Be a Louisiana resident; and
• Be a graduate from the residential phase of the Louisiana National Guard’s Youth ChalleNGe Program; and
• Have earned a Louisiana high school equivalency diploma; and
• Not have a criminal conviction, except for misdemeanor traffic violations; and
• Submit a FAFSA for every year of enrollment in a postsecondary institution.

Renewal Requirements
You must:

• Have received the grant for not more than two years, unless granted an exception for cause; and
• Continue to enroll each subsequent semester or quarter as a full time student, unless granted an exception for cause; and
• Maintain steady academic progress; and
• Earn at least 24 hours each program year; and
• Maintain a cumulative gpa of at least 2.50 on a 4.00 scale at the end of each program year; and
• Submit a FAFSA or renewal FAFSA for each academic year during which the student is enrolled in a postsecondary institution.

GO Grant

The Louisiana Go Grant is a need-based financial aid program aimed at making college more affordable for non-traditional and low to moderate income students. Louisiana resident students who are eligible for and receive the federal Pell Grant may also be eligible for a Go Grant. The grant helps cover the difference between the actual cost of attending a public or private college in Louisiana and the amount of a student’s Pell Grant award.

Eligibility Requirements
You must:

• Be a Louisiana Resident;*
• File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
• Receive a federal Pell grant;
• Have remaining financial need after deducting Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and all federal/state/institutional grant or scholarship aid ("gift aid") from student's Cost of Attendance (COA);
• Be a student enrolled in an eligible Louisiana institution on at least a half-time basis (minimum 6 hours at semester school or 4 hours at a quarter school).

Renewal Requirements
You must:

• Must file a FAFSA or the Renewal FAFSA at least annually;
• Continue to receive a Federal Pell Grant;
• Have remaining financial need after deducting Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and all federal/state/institutional grant or scholarship aid ("gift aid") from student's Cost of Attendance (COA).
• The Award can be renewed for subsequent years to a maximum lifetime award that correlates to that of the Federal Pell Grant.

*Residency: Louisiana resident as of the day the FAFSA is filed and Louisiana is the student's true and fixed domicile as reported on the FAFSA. If student's state of residence on the FAFSA is not reported as LA, but a dependent student claims that a non-custodial parent is a Louisiana resident, or that parents are Louisiana residents living out of state, LOSFA will determine residency based on the completion, by the parents, of a residency affidavit.

Annual Award amount

Award amounts to eligible students are based on the institution's allocation and their packaging module and policy. Awards may vary with each academic year. Awards will not be paid for summers sessions, quarters or terms.

Minimum Annual Award $ 300.00

Maximum Annual Award amount up to the maximum allowed per Go Grant regulations.

MJ Foster Promise Program

The M.J. Foster Promise Program will serve as a “last dollar” award, which means all applicants will be required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine or demonstrate eligibility for other sources of federal aid. M.J. Foster Promise Award can be used over a period of three years to cover tuition and fees, but students cannot receive a refund from the M.J. Foster Promise Program.

The award amount of $3,200 per award year is for a student enrolled full time. Students can receive a maximum of $6,400 over a period of 3 years. A student may receive the maximum award amount of $6,400 in one year for certain high cost programs. The award amount will be applied to any balance for tuition and fees after all federal, state, and institutional aid has been applied, so award amounts will differ student by student.

Eligibility Requirements
You must:

• Be 20 years of age as of the date the school bills LOSFA for your award.
• Have earned a high school diploma or equivalent or co-enroll in a qualified program of study and in a program to earn a high school credential that is recognized by the state of Louisiana.
• Be a U.S. Citizen and a Louisiana Resident*
• Have not previously earned an undergraduate degree at the associate level or above.
• Must complete the MJ Foster Program Award Application
• Must have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the academic year in which they will be enrolled
• If a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces and been separated from service, have received an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions.
• Meet the admission requirements of the institution the student plans to attend; and
• Enroll and remain enrolled in an eligible program of study through the 14th class day at semester schools, or, for any qualifying summer sessions, students attending proprietary schools, and students enrolled in a program that is not provided on a traditional semester/term basis, through the end of the last day to drop and receive a full refund for the course of study in which enrolled.
• Agree to reside and work full time in Louisiana for a minimum of one year after the completion of the last program of study for which funding is received.
• Agree to perform each year funding is received at least 20 hours of community service or participate in at least 20 hours in an internship, apprenticeship, or mentorship that is related to the qualified program of study.
• The student must also certify that:They are not currently imprisoned; and
• They have not been convicted of a violent crime; and
• They have a family income that does not exceed three hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines; or certify that they are currently unemployed or has been underemployed for a period of at least six months prior to the date they would receive an award.

*The student must have actually lived and resided in Louisiana for 24 months prior to completing the FAFSA to be considered a Louisiana resident for the MJ Foster Promise Program. If the student was a veteran of the United States Armed Forces who received an honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions, and after separating from active duty, must become a Louisiana resident within 24 months prior to the application date.

Renewal Requirements
You must:

• Annually complete the FAFSA.
• Annually complete the on-line application for an M.J. Foster Promise Program award.
• Make steady academic progress
• Remain in good academic standing at the college in which enrolled.
• Maintain continuous enrollment, unless granted an exception
• Maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 calculated on a 4.00 scale in a qualified program for which letter grades are issued.
• Maintain steady academic progress in a qualified program for which letter grades are not issued.
• Not be incarcerated and not have a conviction for any violent crime
• If a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces and been separated from service, have received an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions.
• Have received the award for not more than three consecutive academic years unless granted an exception
• Have not used the award to earn more than sixty (60) hours of college credit.
• Certify the completion of at least twenty (20) hours of community service or twenty (20) hours of participation in an apprenticeship, internship, or mentorship for the prior calendar year.
• A recipient may continue to receive an award under this section after they have completed one or more qualified programs of study other than an associate’s degree if:They continue to meet all of the continuing eligibility requirement
  • They have not exhausted the maximum award eligibility of six thousand four hundred dollars ($6,400).
  • They have not received the award for three years.